Birkenstock

Birkenstock is a shoe manufacturer (headquarters Vettelschoss in the district of Neuwied in northern Rhineland -Palatinate ) with the same name, internationally acclaimed footwear brand. "Birkenstock " is a registered trademark of Birkenstock GmbH & Co. KG in Vettel 's lap.

History

The history of the " shoemaker dynasty " Birkenstock can be detected with mention of the master shoemaker Johann Adam Birkenstock in the small Hessian town Langen -Bergheim since 1774. Opened in 1896, Konrad Birkenstock Frankfurt two shoe stores and started making footbed insoles. In Friedberg ( Hessen), Konrad Birkenstock in 1925 acquired a large factory, which he expanded on. That he invented called " Blue Footbed ," which the movements and the shape of the foot of the wearer adapts and was in 1930 a novelty, even to Austria, France, Denmark, Czechoslovakia, Italy, Luxembourg, Belgium, Norway, The Netherlands Sweden and shipped to Switzerland.

A grandson Konrad Birkenstock, Carl Birkenstock, led to the new corporate headquarters in Bad Honnef near Bonn after 1945, the idea of his grandfather and his father Karl Birkenstock improvements further by making the flexible cork for solid soles of shoes. In 1964 the first model of " Birkenstocksandale ", the "Birkenstock Fußbettsandale ", later " Gymnastiksandale " today little changed the model " Madrid " on the market, and thus laid the foundation for the company's expansion since the 1970s.

The rapid expansion of the model range (ie other sandals tops on the basic type of the Birkenstock footbed with rubber outsole ) initially met with little resonance: Few footwear retailer Birkenstock took on in their range.

Successes is one, as doctors and other health care professions in 1970 by conventional footwear va had changed to wood and leather sandals or clogs that once discovered unconventional Birkenstocks and Birkenstock began to market by mail. Already in the late 1960s discovered the hippie movement in the United States, sandals, built by the German American Margot Fraser, from small beginnings sales in California, and later, Birkenstock USA on the largest since the 1980s market for Birkenstock, from 1966 built. In Germany Birkenstock sandals were popular in the 1980s, first in the nursing profession and in the alternative and the peace movement, then in the "bourgeois " households as home and leisure shoes.

The product side to Birkenstock developed further: In 1973 the sandal " Arizona " on the market, in 1977 the model "Boston". Both shoes are still among the most popular and successful Birkenstock classics. In 1982, his first Birkenstock thong sandal out.

In 2013, then was the company, which previously consisted of many individual companies substantial restructuring towards a group. The Birkenstock GmbH & Co. KG Holding now holds 100 % of the shares of Birkenstock Sales GmbH ( emerged from the Birkenstock GmbH & Co. KG and from its general partner GmbH ) and the Birkenstock Productions GmbH, which itself grew out of a part of the production companies is. Furthermore, the Birkenstock GmbH & Co. KG operates two branches, namely the Birkenstock GmbH & Co. KG Services and the Birkenstock GmbH & Co. KG specialty stores.

The production facilities are located in St. Catherine ( Rhineland -Palatinate ), Görlitz (Saxony), Bernstadt ( Saxony) and Ürzell (Hessen). The logistics center is located in Vettelschoss ( Rhineland -Palatinate).

Company is based in the 1990s Vettelschoss in northern Rhineland -Palatinate near Bad Honnef. The beginning of 2014 will move the administration to the site cream ( Neustadt ( Wied) ) on the so-called "Birkenstock Campus" Birkenstock.

Licensee

The shoe company Alpro, Betula, Birki, Footprints, Papillio, and Tatami are a licensee of Birkenstock. These independent companies that are in the possession of the three sons of Karl Birkenstock, partially use the know -how of Birkenstock, reflected among other things in the molded footbeds. The licensee may - depending on the quality - of their products with the additions "original Birkenstock footbed " or "licensed by Birkenstock" advertise.

Birkenstock is now regarded by experts as the fourth largest shoe manufacturer in the world with offices around the world and highly modern production facilities.

Social significance of shoes

Through the uniform and wide -area pressure distribution, while resilience and flexibility of the entire shoe bottom, additionally supported by the leather covering the footbed, these shoes give a comfortable fit. You are therefore also particularly popular with people who have to stand a lot professionally. In this respect, one often sees them in doctors' offices, hospitals and in nursing.

Due to the broad, anatomically adapted - rounded toe the author Helge Sternke find the shoes very elegant. To wear Birkenstocks in public is frowned upon in many ways. during the development of the Birkenstock styled by Heidi Klum collection by supermodel Heidi Klum is advertised. Besides evaluated carrier such as Tom Cruise and Madonna Birkenstock sandals on the fashion items globally, also the grunge trend.